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CAD · head to head

KiCad vs Plasticity

KiCad logo

KiCad

CAD

Free open source schematic capture and PCB layout with no seat, board size or layer limits

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Plasticity logo

Plasticity

CAD

CAD for artists

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only KiCad has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: KiCad there is no vendor obligation behind the free software, so a blocking bug is escalated to a volunteer community unless you separately buy a contract from KiCad Services Corporation.; Plasticity limited plugin ecosystem compared to Rhino; fewer third-party extensions available
  • They diverge on capability: KiCad covers Schematic capture, Plasticity covers Smooth surface modeling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which KiCad and Plasticity actually diverge.

Attributes where KiCad and Plasticity differ
AttributeKiCadPlasticity
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWindows, macOS, Linux, Ubuntu
FoundedUnknown2023

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (CAD).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in KiCad

  • Schematic capture
  • PCB layout
  • No design limits
  • 3D viewer
  • Manufacturing output
  • Scripting

Only in Plasticity

  • Smooth surface modeling
  • Fillet operations
  • Boolean operations
  • Mesh export
  • Fast workflow
  • Artist-friendly
  • Blender
  • Game engines

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

KiCad

  • A hardware startup designing a multi-layer board without paying for an Altium seatnot Plasticity
  • A university teaching PCB design where per-student licences are unaffordablenot Plasticity
  • An open hardware project that needs design files anyone can open and modifynot Plasticity
  • An engineer prototyping a board at home who needs commercial rights on the outputnot Plasticity

Plasticity

  • Concept designnot KiCad
  • Hard surface modelingnot KiCad

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

KiCad

  • There is no vendor obligation behind the free software, so a blocking bug is escalated to a volunteer community unless you separately buy a contract from KiCad Services Corporation.
  • High speed design support, including advanced constraint management, differential pair and impedance tooling, remains behind Altium and Cadence, which matters as soon as boards carry fast interfaces.
  • Rigid-flex and complex stack-up design is weak, so products with flex circuits usually need a commercial package.
  • Component library and part sourcing integrations are thinner than the commercial tools, so parts data and availability checking is manual work someone has to own.
  • Multi-engineer design data management is not provided; teams end up assembling Git workflows themselves, and merge handling on binary-adjacent design files is awkward.

Plasticity

  • Limited plugin ecosystem compared to Rhino; fewer third-party extensions available
  • Young product with shorter track record; fewer industry case studies and community resources
  • No parametric history tree; may require different workflow for some users accustomed to feature-based modeling
  • Premium pricing for Indie users despite being positioned as affordable alternative

Pricing, plan by plan

KiCad

Free
  • KiCadFree
    • Full suite under GPL
    • No board size, layer or component limits
    • Commercial use permitted
  • Commercial support$undefined/year
    • Support contracts sold separately by KiCad Services Corporation
    • Priority issue handling and consulting
    • Not included with the free software

Plasticity

On request
  • Indie$149/one-time

Which should you pick?

Choose KiCad if

  • You need schematic capture.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want pcb layout.
KiCad review

Choose Plasticity if

  • You need smooth surface modeling.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, Ubuntu.
  • You also want fillet operations.
Plasticity review

Questions people ask

Is KiCad or Plasticity better?
Neither clearly leads. KiCad starts at Free and Plasticity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, KiCad or Plasticity?
KiCad has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for KiCad and On request for Plasticity.
Does KiCad or Plasticity run on more platforms?
KiCad runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Plasticity runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Ubuntu.
Can I use KiCad for free?
Yes. KiCad has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Plasticity starts at On request.
What is KiCad best used for?
KiCad is most often used for a hardware startup designing a multi-layer board without paying for an altium seat, a university teaching pcb design where per-student licences are unaffordable, an open hardware project that needs design files anyone can open and modify, an engineer prototyping a board at home who needs commercial rights on the output. Of those, a hardware startup designing a multi-layer board without paying for an altium seat and a university teaching pcb design where per-student licences are unaffordable are not what Plasticity is typically brought in for.
What can KiCad do that Plasticity cannot?
KiCad covers Schematic capture, PCB layout, No design limits, 3D viewer. Plasticity covers Smooth surface modeling, Fillet operations, Boolean operations, Mesh export.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

KiCad: Is KiCad really free for commercial work?

Yes. It is GPL licensed with no restriction on commercial use, board size, layer count or component count.

Plasticity: What is Plasticity designed for?

Plasticity is a NURBS-based 3D modeler designed for concept and product design, prioritizing an artist-friendly workflow over parametric history-based modeling.

Source
KiCad: Can I buy support?

Yes, but not from the project. KiCad Services Corporation sells commercial support contracts separately; CERN moved to exactly that arrangement after ending its donation programme.

Plasticity: What platforms does Plasticity support?

Plasticity runs on Windows, macOS (Intel and M-Series), Linux, and Ubuntu using Parasolid's geometric modeling kernel.

Source
KiCad: How is development funded?

Through donations and sponsors administered via The Linux Foundation, plus contributed engineering time.

Plasticity: What is the pricing model for Plasticity?

Plasticity is a one-time purchase: Indie tier costs $149 and Studio tier is available at a higher price point. A 30-day free trial is available.

Source
KiCad: Is it good enough to replace Altium?

For most low and medium speed boards yes. For high speed, rigid-flex and heavily constrained designs, the commercial tools still hold a clear lead.

Plasticity: Does Plasticity integrate with Blender?

Yes. Plasticity includes a Blender Bridge add-on that enables live-linking between Plasticity and Blender, allowing you to preview Plasticity models inside Blender with proper materials and lighting.

Source
Plasticity: What key features distinguish Plasticity from other CAD tools?

Plasticity features streamlined UI with context-sensitive widgets, chordal fillets, key bindings familiar to Blender users, radial menus, Dimension and Measure commands for absolute constraints, and handles complex Boolean operations on dense geometry.

Source
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